Fatal Fusarium solani infections in baby sharks

The occurrence of fatal fusariosis in baby bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) born at the National Aquarium, Baltimore, Maryland, is reported. An atypical strain of Fusarium solani was cultured from the tissues of two of the infected sharks following postmortem examination. Histopathology revealed an apparent predilection of the fungus for hyaline cartilage. Invasion of the cartilage resulted in hyphae with a distorted morphology. In slide culture the fungus displayed the unusual characteristic of terminal chlamydoconidium generation on macroconidia; this may be of some taxonomic significance.